Tuesday, July 21, 2009

No, I'm not talking religion, but being a druid in the game resonates with my own ethics regarding nature, wildlife, and the environment. A lot of my actions and values as a camp counselor are the same things that druids, as a group of players and per the lore itself, tend to be as well.

Druids in WoW tend to:

Be versatile and adaptable

Be protective of their comrades

Be sturdy, dedicated, and determined

Connect to nature (night elves and tauren alike)

Be close to and understanding of wildlife and flora

Seek to emulate the traits of various aspects of nature

Be willing to teach others of their class how to improve

Frequent readers have probably picked up that I am a Girl Scout and a sometimes Camp Counselor. In this, I am required to:

Be adaptable

Be dedicated and determined

Protect those that are in my care

Play mother to those that need it

Guide them into their own independence

Understand and connect to nature, even the parts that are feared

Help others to do the same

Not too different, is it? The piece with greatest difference is in playing mother to a homesick camper--that doesn't really happen in WoW, exactly, but there are certainly times where something from beyond the scope of the game (camp) is affecting a player's ability to participate, and they need advice or support. We don't know all the intimate details of that person's past, and we get all kinds of people in our groups: those with perfectly normal homelives, those going through divorce or loss, those being abusive, or even those that just didn't prepare them for the social world.

Though I was a Scout and Camp Counselor before WoW was released, I can't help but take what lessons my druid has taught me and apply them to my work at scout camps. The protective power of the bear, the nurturing and steady limbs of the tree, the seed of rebirth hidden to start life anew, the freedom of the wings of a bird, the joy of just running in the breeze and the sun, and... yes, the nighttime prowly stealth of a panther! I just giggle a bit that at least I don't have to wear "moonscreen" at night to protect from moonfire; it's hard enough remembering when I last put on enough sunscreen (and my arm is still red in painful testiment to my forgetfulness!).

Does my druid fear the night, to walk the paths in only the light of the stars, or is she unwilling to stand drenched in the rain and just laugh about it? Would she not be able to handle 80 screaming kids after raiding through 40-mans, 25's, etc, or just reading through the slosh that is trade chat? Would she not know the value of selflessly helping another, after all of the times that I would stop and heal another, or invite an unknown, lowbie druid to my group to run them on my mammoth over to the saftey of the next flight path in a zone that is way past their ability level? Does she not feel a kinship to fellow druids that crosses boundaries of race and faction, just as a Scout should?

I don't know what parts are just me and what parts are true among most other druids, but this may be why I love my druid so much. She reminds me of my youth in the mountains and rivers, finding family amid strangers, and finding a home among trees. She reminds me to never let that go and that I should continue to share what I've learned with others, so that they too may learn how to love the natural world.

~~ As a note, we're already beginning our plans for the camp next year, where we plan to expand to a week and add more activities! ~~